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Depends on where you are. Dry snow and wet snow are different beasts. Throw in mountains and it can get nasty.

We had stock tires on our Grand Cherokee and they were pathetic in the snow. After one year driving em though, we wore through them and put on All Terrains. They were MUCH better in the snow and clawed like there was no tomorrow. That includes drives up to Mammoth Mountain along Highway 395 and the grade from Bishop to Mammoth. Never needed a chain, except as required by the CHP.

I live in Connecticut but plan on going anywhere I can. As noted these are all Terrain Tires. I plan on going out when most folks are staying home. Its the best time to drive in the snow IMHO. Hell, I had an old VW with the engine in the back and I could do just about anywhere with it. I plan on driving on unplowed roads etc. I bought the Jeep for this reason. My friends have said I should be able to go just about anywhere with my stock tires but I wanted opinions from other Jeep owners. I don't think I will be driving in more than 10 to 12 in. of snow. I always thought that Jeeps could do the job. My wife is from Ft. Kent Maine and I plan on taking a trip there too.

I know the BFG 31"x10.50" AT tires are the crowd favorite of this forum but I want to know if I can go a little wider. After doing the conversion (as found on quadratec's website) I found a rough equivalent to a 31"x12.50" tire made by BFG... LT325/60R15. Here is a link to the website:

31" diameter will obviously fit, if it's getting recommended to stock wranglers all over this forum. What mods, if any, need to be done to accomodate the extra 2" of width in the tires I want? I know backspacing plays a large role, as told by Tom in another post to this forum this past spring. Will just a new rim with different backspacing do the trick? or will fenders need to be trimmed?

Jeepers often want to go to larger tires as they make modifications to their rigs, either for looks, or for enhanced off road capability.

Fender well clearance is usually the limiting factor in tire diameter for a Wrangler, and this can be addressed by either adding a body lift, a suspension lift, or both. A body lift raises the body off the frame, thus increasing the size of the wheel opening. A suspension lift raises the frame (and the body along with it, of course) above the axles, making larger wheel openings for the bigger tires. It is not recommended that a body lift of more than one inch be installed on your Jeep.

Often, going to larger diameter tires means going to wider tires as well. In some cases, people just want a wider tire, even if they are not going to larger diameter tires. In either case, it is commonly asked. "What is the widest tire that I can put on my Jeep?"

This is where wheel backspacing comes into play. For tires of equal width, the backspacing of the wheels being used determines how close to the frame the tire will run. The higher the backspacing, the more the tires are "pulled in" toward the frame, and the lower the backspacing, the further to the outside, away from the frame, the tires will run. The use of tires too wide for the amount of backspacing of the wheels will cause rubbing of the inside sidewalls of the tires on the spring perches in the rear and on the comtrol arms in the front.

Most factory wheels that are used on Wranglers have 5.5" of backspacing, which is quite a bit. This much backspacing limits the tires to a maximum width of 10.50" Sometimes, even with 10.50" wide tires, the steering stops must have washers installed on them to prevent tire rub at full turn. That is a very simple thing to do and should not stop a person from going with the 10.50" tires.

Backspacing of around 4.0" is good for most tire widths that are commonly used on Jeeps with lifts and larger diameter tires.

Take a look at the diagram below. This should clear up the concept of backspacing for you.

Please, come to the discussion "Jeep Wrangler," which is the general discussion thread for Jeep Wrangler owners. We have a great time in there talking about our Jeeps and the fun we have with them. We always give new folks a warm welcome. There are over 22,000 posts in there, so SOMEBODY must like it.

I have a question that is a different twist on tires. I am not interested in off-road capabilities. My daughter has a 2005 Wrangler, and she wanted it for looks - - not off road abilities. Yes, impractical, but daughters have a way of convincing Dad of things. So, it came with 215/75R15 Goodyear Wrangler RT/S tires that are pure garbage. They have been prone to hydro-planing since day one, and are now showing serious tread loss after just 11,000 miles. Probably good that they are worn-out, because they need to be replaced, My question, what is a good quality tire to get as a replacement? I am in Houston, so now neither mud nor snow matter. I want a good wet traction tire that also wears well, quiet, and looks 1/2 way appropriate on a Jeep - - maybe go slightly wider than what I have now. Ideas? Tiretrack general top rated tires does not seem to recommend for Jeep. General Grabber UHP, Kumho Road Venture HT, Yokohama Geolander H/T-S GO51???

Thanks for your help Tom! Still not sure about how much backspacing I actually have on the wheels...American Racing lists their offsets in mm so the corresponding width in inches for -38mm = 1.49" which also doesn't make sense, as they do seem to stick out a bit further than that...and I'm not that car dumb. I'll have to investigate this further by removing the 5th one and measuring. But either way, thanks for your help...and I'll begin looking at the other forum you recommend.

hey bud...if you find 325/60-15 tires please let me know. I currently have the bald versions on my 98 sahara and I'm looking to replace them...checked with BFG...DISCONTINUED. Now they only make the Mud TA in that size...and I don't want the Mud TA...

QUESTION FOLKS: HOW DOES THE MUD TA COMPARE TO THE ALL TERRAIN IN NOISE, STREET TRACTION AND WET TRACTION?

Sorry if this is a repeat question, I'm new here. I am wondering if I can fit the 32" Goodrich all-terrain tire on my '99 Sahara. My local tire store claims sure no problem but I am questioning their know-how. Please help

What width? Usually 32s are 12.5" (32x12.5x15) in which case you will have a problem. 31x10.5x15 is pretty much the largest that will comfortably fit while still giving full axle movement, though you may (every Jeep is different) have to fit a couple of washers under the steering stops to stop rubbing at full lock.

I have a stock 1998 Jeep Wrangler with stock rims and tires. I want to put 33" BF Goodwrench All terrain or Mud on the jeep. My questions are: will they fit on stock rims? What type of lift will i need? and will it still fit into a garage?

I was thinking of going with 33x10.5 with 3inch lift. (do i need new rims??)) Either 3inch suspension or Skyjacker 2" Spacer Lift with 1inch body lift.

I have 33's on my TJ - 1997. They will fit on stock wheels. Most stock wheels from 1998 are 8" wide, but the pizza cutters on the SE's are 7". Which do you have? I have Canyons.

33x10.5's will fit just fine on stock wheels (mine are the 33x12.5" variety). You will need about 3" of total lift to make it happen, so your lift options are good (I like that you are avoiding bigger than 1" on BL).

I, along with mac24 and tsjay, run the OME suspension system, which gives ~2.5-3" of lift (I got 3.25), that with the 1" BL looks and rides great, both on and offroad. However, the OME is a bit pricier, but I firmly believe you get what you pay for. I've heard mixed reviews about Skyjacker. Rubicon Express or OME are the only ones I'd consider for a short arm suspension lift. Long arm is another story and a lot more C-Notes.

Here's my 97 with the lift, tires, and wheels.

The size is a great compromise for offroad ability and onroad comfort (and being fairly easy to still get in).

That looks great. thanks for the tips. Thats how i want mine to look like. After i get the lift and tires, i want to add the front and rear bumpers and warn winch. However will yours fit into a garage or do you know the height clearance on your jeep. i need to have mine still fit into the garage so i need some measurements before i invest the money. thanks

It's basic math really. Measure the height of your Wrangler, subtract it from the height of your opened garage door (not all garages are the same height), and that's the amount you have left to play with.

If you're on 29s now 33s will bring you up 2", then add 3"-3 1/2" for a lift. If you have 6" or more clearance now, you should be good to go.

I've got a 98 TJ 4.0L with 31x10.50 BFG ATs on stock rims. I just got some black Cragar 342 series 15x8 rims with 4" of backspacing. What's the max tire width I can run on these w/o any kind of lift? (no extra cash for that, lol)

Hey Paul i have few questionsare you saying that i can go up to 33x12.5 on the stock rims if i get enough lift? i thought max tire width on stock rims was 10.5?Also you have a total lift of around 4" right? so if i go with just 3" will 33x10.5 fit without rubbing? and the 33x12.5 could fit on stock rims but would rub with just 3" lift?

Keep in mind, I DO have stock rims, but I also have 1.25" wheel spacers behind em - which gives me an effective BS of 4.25".

An 8" wheel can handle 12.5" wide tires easily and actually makes a pretty good combination.

I don't know anybody with 33x10.5's so can't really address that, but as long as you have sufficient lift, I would THINK they'd work on the stock wheels with minimal rubbing while turning or when offroad.

Rubbing occurs in 2 places.1 - tires to swaybar or spring perches when turning (usually full turning lock).2 - tires being stuffed into the wheel wells/fenders when offroading.

1 is usually a function of tire width and backspacing2 is usually a function of tire height in relation to lift height.

Assuming that the mounting holes and backspacing are the same as your present wheels there shouldn't be a problem. The tires you want aren't an extreme size and it doesn't matter if the hole in the middle is 15" or 17".

Eagles are a performance on-road tire, but if you stay on-road that's not a problem.